“Chirp. Chirp. Chiiirrrp” called the blue jay from up above in the trees. It was a clear summer day and all was right in the forest. The blue jay jumped out of the great pine tree and spread its wings to take flight. It circled once, twice around the tree and landed gently by the bank of the Scotsdale River. The blue jay was parched from the glistening sun and took a few gulps of the clear, sparkling water. Refreshed, it took off into the sky, to rest in its soft bed in the great pine. As it neared the tree it could hear the soft chirps of its babies and rejoiced in the sound of it. Then suddenly, a convulsion hit its body like lightning, shutting down all its internal systems. The blue jay’s wings folded and it plummeted toward the fresh, dewy earth; dead.

Not far off in the center of Scotsdale, MA, the town was holding a meeting.

“I have called you all here today to discuss the conditions of the river.” said the town mayor, David Egvasa. “It seems some sort of chemical has been released into the river which is killing all the Scotsdale wildlife.”

“But how did this happen?” asked Alyssa Yvonne, the young eighteen year old medical prodigy of the town. “Surely none of us would have done this on purpose!”

“Well, it seems that some of the runoff from Farmer Whats’ pesticides has leaked into the river.” said David.

“That’s outrageous! How dare you accuse me of this!” yelled Farmer Whats, furious.

“Well maybe next time you should be more careful of how much pesticides you put on your crops!” yelled Edmond Clarke, the town mechanic.

“Shut your mouth you bum! At least I can afford food for my family!” retaliated Farmer Whats.

From across the meeting hall you could hear shouts of Agreed, and Hear Ye, Hear Ye. Farmer Whats and Edmond Clarke both stood up and began to shout in each others face. The onlookers began to egg them on and soon both were red in the face. In the back some of the townspeople stood up and began to yell about who was right; Clarke or Whats. Fury broke out across the hall and soon everyone was in a fit.